The invention relates to a personal vibratory air-shower sauna, and in particular, it relates to an enclosure in which an individual can be positioned horizontally and provided with a flow of heated air over the body by an overhead downwardly directed air shower while being vibrated in a totally enclosed cabinet, except for the individual's head.
The combination of using vibration and heat therapeutic value is well know. Generally, blood flow is increased to areas stimulated by vibration, which in turn induces relaxation and facilitates transport of body waste materials for elimination from the body. It has been theorized that muscles that are not utilized in everyday life will remain healthy and supple with the utilization of vibration therapy.
Heating the skin to induce sweating has been known to enlarge pores of the skin and allow body waste products to leave the body. In addition to cleansing the outer skin layers by perspiration, heat also increases blood flow by dilating blood vessels. Increased circulation of blood accelerates blood flow to internal organs thereby assisting in processing and transporting body waste materials. Beautiful skin and a healthy, toned body are common results to the dry heat provided by a sauna.
The Hardie U.S. Pat. No. 4,565,188 and the Wilson et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,671,284 show personal saunas with vibratory features. The Hardie patent describes a vibratory sauna which includes a housing having a chamber located below the support member. A heater is located in the lower chamber. Heated air flows out of the chamber and above the support member (over the body of a user) while the support member is being vibrated.
The Wilson et al. patent describes a sauna with a bed and a chamber beneath the bed with longitudinally extending heating elements within the chamber. The sauna includes elongated air inlets which extend substantially the entire length of the heating elements. In addition, elongated air outlets are included which also extend substantially along the entire length of the bed and direct air from beneath the bed surrounding the body and recirculating the same to the chamber beneath the bed by means of the air inlets.